The present invention relates to a building which has an outer exterior wall surrounding an inner exterior wall.
It is well known that already existing buildings can be remodeled by repairing the exterior wall or by replacing it using different surface materials. In such cases there is a method for removing or peeling or shaving off the old exterior wall and then covering the building with new wall covering. This method involves such a problem that it requires time for removing the old wall and scatters dust and dirt around the site.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, there has been another known method that builds up a new exterior wall outside an old exterior wall without removing the latter. This method fixes supporting members onto the old exterior wall and then builds a new exterior wall thereon. The method, however, causes such a problem that the building has an apparently thickened external wall with considerably deepened windows. It is desired that the building has a possibly saving space between the old exterior wall and the new exterior wall by using thinner supporting members. Japanese laid-open publication of unexamined application No. 4-42513 describes an attempt to provide a bay window in the new external wall of a building in order to widen a utility space therein. The window space, however, may be used for placing jardinieres and decorations there and for providing a traverse rod for suspending curtains. It is preferred that the space between the new wall and the old wall is as small as possible.
It is also noticed that renewing in the exterior wall of a building by the above-mentioned method is considerably expensive and makes no particular contribution to improving the function of the building itself except for a small effect on the thermal insulation of the new wall and the provision of the bay windows therein.
Recently, in many cities there have been built so-called intelligent buildings wherein a variety of facilities such as electric services, plumbing, electric communication, gas fitting system and so on are used in various ways. Many old buildings generally have no space for accommodating pipes and cables required for introducing intelligent terminals into the buildings.
In the case of designing and constructing a new building, it is possible to provide a duct space large enough to accommodate therein piping and wiring for intelligent equipment to be introduced in the future, but this duct space may limit the design possibilities and sacrifice the possible floor space of the building.
In the case of designing a new building with no consideration to providing high technology facilities in the future, it is necessary to provide the least needed duct space which may also limit the design possibilities in relation to the partitioning of the floor space.